Palace of Westminster: Media

Lord Moonie: To ask the Chairman of Committees how many journalists are holders of parliamentary passes; and how many (a) United Kingdom, and (b) overseas publications or media organisations they represent.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: In total, 432 media representatives hold valid passes, of which 366 are journalists. The other 66 passes are held by other media personnel such as cameramen and drivers. The 432 media pass holders represent 105 UK organisations and 13 overseas organisations.

Stamp Duty

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent estimate of the costs of increasing the stamp duty threshold to £250,000 for (a) first-time buyers, and (b) all house buyers, for each of the next five years.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent estimate of the cost of exempting from stamp duty all young families with high mortgage costs.

Lord Myners: The information requested is not available.

Stamp Duty

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent estimate of the total financial effects by income decile of increasing the stamp duty threshold to £250,000 for (a) first-time buyers, and (b) all house buyers.

Lord Myners: The estimated cost of increasing the stamp duty land tax threshold to £250,000 for first-time buyers and all house buyers is given in the table below. These estimates are based on Budget 2009 forecasts of house transaction volumes and prices to 2013-14, the last year for which Budget forecasts of volumes and prices were made.
	
		
			 £ billion 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 First-time buyers 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 
			 All buyers 0.9 1.1 1.3 1.4 
		
	
	These estimates assume no allowance for behavioural change.
	No information is available on the effects of increasing the stamp duty threshold to £250,000 by income decile.

Ulster-Scots

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 21 July (WA 353) concerning support for minority groups in the Northern Ireland Office, who is the board-level champion for the Ulster Scots community; and, if there is no such person, why not.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: There is currently no board champion for the Ulster Scots community and there are no plans to have one. However, the department does have a board Belfast diversity champion who, when there is no visible board champion, champions other identified diversity workplace matters.